Clash followed earlier attack on Danish shipRichard Norton-Taylor and Tom Parfitt in Moscow guardian.co.uk, Thursday November 13 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian, Thursday November 13 2008 Article historyBritish commandos killed two suspected pirates who tried to seize a Danish ship in the Gulf of Aden during an unprecedented operation involving a Royal Navy and a Russian warship, it was revealed yesterday.

The suspected pirates were shot after the Royal Marine commandos, in rigid inflatable boats launched from the frigate HMS Cumberland, were fired at from a Yemeni flagged dhow, the Ministry of Defence said.

The Cumberland had been conducting routine Nato security operations in the Gulf of Aden, the MoD said, when a number of its crew boarded the dhow, which was towing a skiff.

The British crew "had reason to believe" the dhow had been involved in an armed attack on the Danish-registered vessel, the MV Powerful, earlier on Tuesday, the day of the gunfight. "Various non-forcible methods had been used in an attempt to stop the dhow but they were unsuccessful," the MoD said.

The inflatables were launched to circle the dhow in an attempt to encourage it to stop. People on the dhow fired at the British commandos, who returned fire in self-defence, the MoD added.

It said the dhow crew subsequently surrendered and a boarding followed. Two of its crew, believed to be pirates, had been shot and killed. The MoD said the boarding operation, which took place south of the Yemeni coast, was conducted in accordance with British rules of engagement.

A Yemeni national was found injured and later died, despite receiving emergency treatment. The MoD said it was unclear whether his injuries were as a result of the gunfight or a previous incident. "A post-shooting incident investigation is currently being conducted," an MoD spokesman said last night.

Igor Dygalo, the Russian navy's chief spokesman, said the Russian frigate... Neustrashimy... (Fearless) was also involved in Tuesday's operation.

"The pirates fired on the Danish craft with automatic weapons and tried twice to seize it," he said. The Neustrashimy had been escorting another Danish vessel when it was called to help.

This year at least 32 ships have been hijacked in the area. A multinational naval force including US, British and German warships is patrolling the waters off Somalia in an attempt to provide security for commercial ships, many of them destined for the Suez canal. The Neustrashimy joined the effort last month.

US warships from the 5th Fleet are still surrounding the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship captured off Somalia by pirates demanding a $5m ransom on September 25. The ship was reportedly transporting 33 T-72 tanks as well as other arms to Kenya. The crew - 17 Ukrainian nationals, two Russians and one Lithuanian - yesterday managed to send an email to a journal in Kiev saying they were running out of fuel, water and food. "The last warning of the soldiers [pirates] is that if the ransom demands are not satisfied the cargo and crew will be destroyed," wrote the captives.

32Bravo

11-14-2008, 06:44 AM

Comments:

Many thanks to all you wonderful supportive americans etc from a mother whose daughter is serving on HMS Cumberland..

Sue C, Reading, UK

Way to go Brits! Y'all cowboy'd up and took care of business. This Texan salutes the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.

Darrell Rose, Huntsville, TX, United States

This is a disgraceful act or terrorism commited against poor innocent fisherman. Where is the ACLU? Who will be there to protect their rights? What is this world coming to when innocent fishermen can't make a living on the high seas? World Court trials for those responsible for the Somali deaths.

msulliv99, SoCal, USA

32Bravo

11-14-2008, 06:48 AM

I'm not sure I understand- a pirate dhow opens fire on a British frigate, and only two pirates are killed, and the dhow is left standing so it can be boarded?

After that confrontation, the pirate dhow should have been splinters of wood swirling around in the water.

Who will try the pirates now

lee, Alexandria, VA, usa

That, is what we Brits call 'Minimum-force!'.

The Russians claimed a helicopter based on their own frigate Neustrashimy had also taken part in yesterday’s battle, though the Royal Navy knew nothing about it. The Royal Marine commandos who boarded the pirates’ dhow were supported by a Lynx helicopter from HMS Cumberland, the MoD said.

That, we call diplomatic :) :

BriteLite

11-14-2008, 08:43 AM

Hurrah for the RN, the RM and US units involved in anti pirate activities. It is about time the world made a statement. Good show!:!:

32Bravo

11-14-2008, 03:54 PM

Yes, well done to the marras of HMS Cumberland, affiliated to the Borders.

"Do ye ken John Peel with his coat so grey?*
Do ye ken John Peel at the break of day?
Do ye ken John Peel when he's far, far away
With his hounds and his horn in the morning.
Chorus:
Twas the sound of his horn brought me from my bed
And the cry of his hounds has me oftimes led
For Peel's view holloa would wake the dead
Or a fox from his lair in the morning..."

p.s. Some say that with the ban on fox hunting he had to find something else to do with his horn in the morning. :)

RifleMan20

11-14-2008, 10:34 PM

Pirate, I'm so Ninja

32Bravo

11-15-2008, 05:46 AM

Pirate, I'm so Ninja

Yes, I can see why - that helmet does aford you a certain, turtle-like, affectation! ;)

32Bravo

11-18-2008, 04:20 AM

Somali pirates have seized a giant Saudi-owned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and are steering it towards Somalia, the US Navy reports.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7733482.stm

Pirates remain active and regularly strike in the region. In the past week alone:

• A Russian warship in the Gulf of Aden drove off pirates who tried to capture the Saudi Arabian merchant ship Rabih

• Pirates hijacked a Japanese cargo ship off Somalia

• A Chinese fishing boat was seized off the Kenyan coast

• A Turkish ship transporting chemicals to India was hijacked off Yemen

• The UK's Royal Navy shot dead two suspected pirates attacking a Danish cargo-ship off the coast of Yemen